Breast Pain After Diving

[Wateratty]

Hello Chardiver!

We have recently had a question similar to yours on our web site, Diving Medicine Online, and none of our consultants could come up with a consistently reasonable answer. (If this was you, please forgive me!)

The best answer that I could find was in relationship to the effects of immersion, which has many widespread effects on the body - the most noticeable being the diuresis of diving (the pee factor). This is a complicated feedback mechanism that is started by a shift of body fluids centrally, stretching some receptors in the heart. This in turn sets off all sorts of neuroendocrine hormonal reactions.The basic response to any sort of immersion is a redistribution of blood volume.The intrathoracic blood volume expansion is
associated with an increased release of the Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) and an alteration of the activity of the posterior pituitary gland.

Studies also suggest that hormones of anterior pituitary origin are required for ANP secretion in response to acute volume loading.

To make a long story short - the possible cause of your breast engorgement may be due to stimulation of your anterior pituitary gland with the production of hormones that act on certain end organs in the body - in your case, your breasts. This is somewhat analagous to the premenstrual engorgement of the breasts that so many women experience. Why this happens to you and not to other women is the question and might cause you to want to check in with your physician with the problem.

You must understand that this is all supposition, as we could not come up with a better answer to your question.

Best regards for safe diving!
scubadoc
Diving Medicine Online

The Ten Foot Stop (Newsletter for all divers)

 

[Wateratty]

Hi, I was really interested to read this as I'm just back from a dive day 3of 2 dives per day. This I'd the first time I've experienced this in over200 dives. Exactly the same symptoms as chardiver! Left breast only. My husband is a gynaecologist and he reckons it's probably hormonal related as well as this is the first time I have dived deep while menopausal!! Your explanation would therefore seem sensible. I have no signs of DCS and kept a close eye on my no deco time. Good to know it's a thing though and I'm not starting to produce milk again as it feels engorged like I need to express. I've taken a voltarol and it's settled a bit. Having a day of diving tomorrow though! Thanks.

 

[Bubblesong]

I've taken a voltarol and it's settled a bit. Having a day of diving tomorrow though! Thanks.

Hi, I am curious why take the Voltarol pill over the voltarol gel for localized swelling? I am about to ask my doctor for a prescription for arthritis, and hope to find out more about this option.

 

[Schwob]

Edited since this post was quoting a since deleted post.

For what it's worth: Thanks to those starting and those resurrecting the thread. Good thread.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Hi, I was really interested to read this as I'm just back from a dive day 3of 2 dives per day. This I'd the first time I've experienced this in over200 dives. Exactly the same symptoms as chardiver! Left breast only. My husband is a gynaecologist and he reckons it's probably hormonal related as well as this is the first time I have dived deep while menopausal!! Your explanation would therefore seem sensible. I have no signs of DCS and kept a close eye on my no deco time. Good to know it's a thing though and I'm not starting to produce milk again as it feels engorged like I need to express. I've taken a voltarol and it's settled a bit. Having a day of diving tomorrow though! Thanks.

Hello Wateratty,

This could be decompression sickness as well. Lymphatic DCS is a well-documented phenomenon. If you've ruled out ill-fitting equipment, DCS is a much more likely explanation than hormones. I would recommend you have yourself evaluated by a diving medical specialist before you continue diving.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[chillyinCanada]

Earlier in this thread, I mentioned my experiences with skin bends. I'd like to clarify that those were abdominal and upper hips, starting with itch and moving into deep pain with mottled skin that looks like bruises.

What I neglected to mention is that I've also experienced considerable long lasting breast pain a number of times over the years, though not in the prior instances. Eventually, it struck me that which ever bathing suit I was wearing at those times was one of my "tighter" on the breasts type. So, I offer this to you ladies as something to consider, if you too experience breast pain after diving. I've become convinced it's a form of DCS but not sure that it would have struck me had the bathing suit been less restrictive in the chest/breast area. (I haven't noted any particular swelling or engorgement to my recollection, only pain and the sensation of my breasts being even heavier than usual)

 

[Bubblesong]

So those "slimming" swimsuits are a bad idea when scuba diving!

 

[sally crafter]

Earlier in this thread, I mentioned my experiences with skin bends. I'd like to clarify that those were abdominal and upper hips, starting with itch and moving into deep pain with mottled skin that looks like bruises.

What I neglected to mention is that I've also experienced considerable long lasting breast pain a number of times over the years, though not in the prior instances. Eventually, it struck me that which ever bathing suit I was wearing at those times was one of my "tighter" on the breasts type. So, I offer this to you ladies as something to consider, if you too experience breast pain after diving. I've become convinced it's a form of DCS but not sure that it would have struck me had the bathing suit been less restrictive in the chest/breast area. (I haven't noted any particular swelling or engorgement to my recollection, only pain and the sensation of my breasts being even heavier than usual)

 

[chillyinCanada]

@sally crafter, did you want to ask me something?

 

[Mary Blyth O'Hara]

Hi everyone

I have been diving for 12 years (700+ dives) in all conditions with dry and wetsuits. In 2016 I had my first episode of the breast pain. I had been on a liveaboard and diving 4 dives a day (no decompression dives) and after three days or so my breasts swelled considerably and particularly the left breast with very sharp pain. I continued diving as it was towards the end of the trip and I had no discomfort in the water. My breasts had swelled in the same way that they did after the birth of my first child. They returned to normal within hours of the end of the trip.

I usually do 4 trips a year with 20+ dives each trip. I have lost track now of the number of times my breasts ache after diving. I have never had the bends and never used a decompression chamber. I did have oxygen once after a dive when I surfaced too quickly but this was as a precaution and was two years ago.

I have just returned from another week of diving of two dives each day and each day after the second/last dive within 40 mins I have breast pain. I do not have any lumps or change in the texture of the skin. The pain subsides after about 1-2 hours which is why I am able to carry on diving. The swelling is not as extreme as it used to be.

My regular temporary symptoms are:

Within one hour of diving either one or both of my breasts have sharp pain and tightness and/or some swelling. There is no lumpiness, discolouration, rash or change in skin texture. The pain lasts for approximately two hours. The reason I can do multiple dives is that the surface interval is roughly one hour so I am back in the water before the onset of pain and I have never had the symptoms during a dive – only on the surface. I dive mainly with Nitrox but also on air if Nitrox not available. I have not noticed any difference between the two.

I do not have high blood pressure and I do not take any medication. I have one cup of coffee in the morning and 1-2 glasses of wine in the evening after diving. I have a healthy diet and exercise regularly. I am not overweight but my breasts are generally large and heavy 40DD and although I appreciate probably mainly consisting of fat but the sheer weight to me implies more of a fluid consistency.

I have not sought medical assistance as my GP does not have specialised dive knowledge and therefore would not be able to advise me.

From what I have read there really is no definitive answer for a condition that clearly affects many, many women. The positives are that there does not appear to be any documented decompression sickness cases for these women and certainly no documented deaths. I am inclined to follow the thought that it is a fluid movement issue.

At present I manage the pain with paracetamol after diving but from what I have read I think a medication to diminish fluid retention and an anaesthetic taken prior to the onset of the pain would be the best medication. If there are any doctors out there to comment it would be great particularly as this thread has been running for the past 19 years with no conclusions.

Since this thread has been running for such a long time I was wondering if any progress has been made with regard to treatment and what a long term prognosis is.